Determining if the United States Military is Ready to Eliminate its Pilots

<p>This study investigates the viability of replacing manned aircraft with unmanned combat aerial vehicles in the armed reconnaissance mission. Increased costs associated with operating a viable Air Force combined with a growing aversion to human combat losses have prompted military leaders to look for alternate means of conducting warfare. The unmanned combat aerial vehicle provides the future warfighter the capability to strike at the enemy without placing a pilot at risk and the costs associated with operating the system are much lower than those of manned aircraft. The study identifies the tasks required to conduct the armed reconnaissance mission and compares them to the tasks current unmanned systems can accomplish. Unmanned aerial vehicles currently perform many reconnaissance surveillance and targeting missions and unmanned combat aerial vehicles are in the military's concept development stage. They provide many of the capabilities needed to accomplish the armed reconnaissance mission. To determine if the United States military should pursue the goal to replace manned aircraft with unmanned combat aerial vehicles the study compares the strengths and weaknesses of both systems. The study concludes that the military should continue to develop unmanned systems capable of conducting the armed reconnaissance mission but emphasis should not center on replacing manned aircraft. Rather the unmanned combat aerial vehicle should be developed as a force multiplier and employed when the combat situation favors its use.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>